At the UCU Disabled Members Conference last Thursday we had an informed debate on the deepening crisis in Special Educational Needs (SEND). Whilst the University and College Union (UCU) represents lecturers in Further and Higher Education, the students that their members teach and support are greatly impacted by the SEND crisis.
This was not the first time that the UCU Disabled Members Conference had discussed SEND and it is unlikely to be the last time that they do. Following on from a debate at the Disabled Members Conference in 2022 a motion was debated and agreed at the UCU Congress in 2023.
That Motion highlighted the fact that UCU members were being compelled to support students with extreme SEND needs even though the members were not specialists in providing that support and this was compounded by the employer not undertaking safeguarding and risk assessments for either the member or the student.
Since that Motion was passed at Congress the SEND crisis has deepened. We are facing what I believe can only described as a vicious circle which is also potentially a circle of systemic discrimination. Let me describe that vicious circle to you.
Firstly, those staff responsible for undertaking the SEND assessments have faced an almost doubling in their workloads and this is at a time when waiting times for the completion of the SEND assessments has increased to approximately 18 months.
The consequence of this is that the learner is starting school, college or university without a completed SEND assessment which means that the resources that such an assessment would identify for that learner have not been identified and, just as importantly, they have not been allocated so the learner is starting at a significant disadvantage compared with other learners.
The next stage of the ‘viscous circle’ is that because the resources have not been allocated then the educational institution they are attending cannot utilise some of those resources to support the learner.
There are probably other stages to the ‘vicious circle’ where the student
drops out because they cannot cope;
experiences mental health problems
experiences frustrations that lead to them engaging in unacceptable and anti-social behaviour which could result in them being expelled.
In the last few months we have seen a number of disturbing headlines in the media:
Special needs children forced out of school by 'crumbling' system, figures show – the Big Issue 29th October 2024
What sort of society rations support for children with special learning needs? – Opinion piece in The Observer 27th October 2024
Parents trapped in special needs tribunal backlog as disputes surge by 50% - The Observer 27th October 2024
SEND: ‘Whole-system reform needed’, says NAO – FE News 25th October 2024
Thursday briefing: How the state is failing children with special needs – and what it costs – The Guardian 24th October 2025
SEN improvements ‘could see tens of thousands more disabled children educated in mainstream schools’ – Disability News Service 31st October 2024
During this debate there was clear agreement that the Special Educational Needs system in the UK is in a deep crisis. There is no instant solution but UCU needs to work with other trade unions and the Local Government Association to identify a way forward including reviewing the support available for students with additional needs to ensure that they receive and can access a fully supported quality learning experience
We were under no illusions that the approach we were suggesting will solve all the problems facing SEND, it may only be a sticking plaster. But, a good starting point is to openly admit that Special Educational Needs is in crisis and agree to work with other trade unions; local government and the central government to identify a sustainable way forward.
We were reminded about the article in FE News on 25th October following the publication of the damning report by the National Audit Office in which it said:
The new government should “explicitly” consider “whole-system” SEND reforms, the spending watchdog has urged in a devastating report that reveals the full scale of impending financial meltdown.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned the special needs system is “financially unsustainable”, with two-fifths of councils at risk of declaring bankruptcy by March 2026 over spiralling costs on special needs education.
The Observer columnist, Sonia Sodha, asked an important question “What sort of society rations support for children with special learning needs?” She pointed out that instead of receiving early help, pupils and parents face a vicious cycle of trying to get treatment. The National Audit Office has highlighted the fact that the English education system is failing children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The conference agreed that the Special Educational Needs system is in crisis and that UCU, along with other trade unions, needs to speak out on this vital issue so that it is not ignored or swept under the carpet.
The mover of the SEND motion concluded by quoting from the Thursday Briefing in The Guardian on 24th October:
“The annual budget for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England now stands at £10.7bn, an increase of 58% in a decade. Despite that, there has been no improvement in outcomes, and many parents say that their children are being sold short.”
Whilst it is clear that increasing the money invested in SEND will not by itself solve the SEND crisis, it could provide a much needed opportunity for those who truly want to provide the best possible education for all those students with Special Educational Needs to work together to bring about the Real Change that is needed.
Yesterday's announcement that the Government are going to make £740m available to schools to create more places for pupils with special needs in mainstream schools is welcome but much more money is needed. As one colleague said to me this is a drop in the ocean.
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